The Fray
by BICaRdiBrEeZa
Summary: A romantic, humours and sometimes angsty story about Lois Lane and Clark Kent Smallville style. Set postseason six. Set to the lyrics of the Fray album. Includes Kara Kent a fair bit so i hope you enjoy my version of her. A fuller summary is inside!
1. Chapter 1

Okay so this is like the third Smallville fic I've ever written but I've never posted one before, I've posted a few One Tree Hill fics before and gotten some nice feedback so i decided what the hell might aswell post this! This fic's mythology is a little different from Smallville's. First off it begins about six months after the season six finale. It's generally fluff so don't expect me to go into great detail about how things went down after the finale. Also promise happened very differently so ignore any Clana that happened from then on because in my Smallville universe it doesn't exist, basically Lana married Lex and they are still together it's a little more complex than that but i will explain it in the fic. Also Lois, Clark and Kara are the only ones out of the cast left in Smallville/Metropolis and have been for a few months and Kara is much younger than Lois/Clark she's around 16. So yeah this is just a little ficlet about Clark and Lois's 'feelings' and how much they've come to realise they mean to each other.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

**Chapter one**.

_There are certain people you just keep coming back to; she is right in front of you._

"Lois move." Clark commanded as the brunette dramatically planted herself in front of the television.

With a huff she stood her ground squaring her shoulders. "This is my apartment farmboy in case you've forgotten! Not your mom's apartment over the talon, my brand new apartment in Metropolis and i won't tell you again, get your great big dirty feet off my property!"

He eyed her quizzically, trying to hide a smile that threatened to escape as she tried unsuccessfully to push his feet of her coffee table.

Lois let out an annoyed sigh. 'What was he made of? Steel?' she thought as she tried once more to force his legs down with no avail.

And if she was honest with herself she'd admit she wasn't trying that hard to move them. She'd gotten used to seeing Smallville stretched out on her sofa over the last few months. Seeing him so relaxed and at ease like that gave her a warm confusing feeling she couldn't identify, something close to comfort.

"Don't make me get Kara to kick your ass when you get home!" She threatened, smirking when he visibly cringed.

"Lois, can you please stop encouraging her! I swear she seems like she's related to you more than me!" Clark rolled his eyes as he pushed her lightly out the way continuing to watch the TV.

Lois let out a gasp of indignation as she stumbled slightly, "Hey don't man handle me buddy!" Sensing Clark's mood was waning she took a seat next to him trying hard not to twitch at the site of his feet still firmly planted on the table.

As Clark become lost in the plot unfolding before them Lois took her time carefully scrutinizing the man before her. His strong muscular body was hidden under flannel and jeans, his raven hair was unkempt and unruly; and lurking behind his blue eyes was a murky sadness.

Sadness that had a lot to go with loss; his father's death, Lex's constant betrayal's, Lana's ultimatum, his mother's new job, and Chloe moving away all took its toll on Clark.

But sometimes when he smiled the blue orbs transformed and appeared crystal clear, which reminded Lois of the ocean. Some days she felt like she could stare at them forever and get lost and other days she wondered what it would be like to look at those eyes through sleepy lashes, curled up in bed with his muscular body keeping her warm.

She coughed slightly shaking her head of the delusional thoughts and re focused her attention on the show.

Clark Kent was handsome and had a certain charm about him; yes she'd known that from the first time she'd laid eyes on him. But he was also completely obsessed with his ex-girlfriend not too mention the fact that he once held some resemblance of romantic feelings for her very own cousin.

No, fantasying about Clark Kent was not an option. Looking at Clark as anything other than a friend was not an option. He was her colleague, her partner at the Daily planet.

That was the end of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

"Cl-ark, seriously just be honest!" Kara teased as she popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth following her older cousin as he left the kitchen, "_You love her-you want to kiss her-and you want to date her!_" She sang obnoxiously as Clark tried to swat her away.

He raised an eyebrow in the blonde's direction, "Where the hell did you learn that?" She shrugged, "It was in this moving picture Lois and i watched the other week… Miss Congeniality."

He rolled his eyes, "You mean _movie_?"

Lois he should have known. For some strange reason everything seemed to revolve around that feisty brunette lately.

Ever since Kara had appeared in his life she seemed to be completely enamored by Lois Lane. She talked about Lois constantly, she thought Lois was hilarious; she had even taken on some of Lois's own traits, like her ability to annoy Clark beyond belief.

It truly was a mystery to Clark why Kara Kent adored Lois Lane so much, when they first met Lois was anything but polite to his little cousin.

She was abrasive and suspicious of her right from day one. And when Clark found out from Chloe that Lois had been secretly investigating Kara behind his back, he was furious.

As much as Chloe and Lex laughed off Lois's journalism career Clark knew better, she was good and she always got to the bottom of her stories no matter what it took. He began to worry that she'd somehow stumble upon the truth about Kara and ultimately him.

And at the time that made him nervous, really nervous. Because for some reason he couldn't bare the though of Lois looking at him like he was an alien, a freak. She was the only person who ever treated him like a normal guy, and he liked it.

But to Clark's surprise and amazement Lois had dropped the issue as soon as he confronted her about it. It was the biggest fight they've ever had and Clark would never forget it, because that was the day he realized he had slowly fallen in love with Lois Lane.

* * *

_"Clark listen to me, you can't trust her! Her birth certificate... i looked into it and it's not even real!" She tried desperately to get him to understand waving the paper in front of him, she was worried about him. He'd let this stranger in his life, in his house and he didn't even know who she really was._

_"Why are you doing this Lois?! Is it for a story? Because i highly doubt Perry will be interest in a piece about a teenage girl who came to Smallville to find the only family she has left after her parents' death!" He was fuming, seething and he wanted nothing more than to shake the nosy bossy abrasive girl in front of him, "I can't believe you've been doing this behind my back! Why are you trying to hurt me?! She's my cousin Lois. I know it! That should be enough I'm asking you to let it go."_

_Lois eyed him wearily placing the documents she'd accumulated on Kara in the waste bin, "I would never hurt you Clark; i was trying to protect you. I... you and Martha, you're my family you took me in and gave me a home and you're both so generous... I just, i didn't want someone to take advantage of that."_

_Tears formed in pools below her brown orbs. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she walked towards her bathroom and Clark had to use his super hearing to listen to the barely audible confession._

_Staring at her retreating figure, he felt his heart clench in sympathy and understanding._

_Suddenly he felt this indescribable urge to confess everything to her. He knew no matter what he told Lois she'd accept it, understand him and punch him for not telling her sooner._

_"Lois, listen Kara, she's different..." He said slowly unsure where to begin._

_She turned around to face his frantically wiping away the remaining tears, "She's your cousin." She stately firmly; letting out a small smile. "I get it, Clark. Everyone deserves to have family; i should have never tried to take that away from her, or from you. I won't question it again."_

_Clark stared at her he didn't know how to reply, Lois was the first person to accept his hardly adequate answer with no questions asked and that relived him but yet sacred him at the same time._

_Lana, Pete and Chloe they always pushed for more and yet here was Lois the most headstrong girl he had ever met letting something go simply because he asked her too._

_He felt a burst of admiration and adoration flow through him as Lois beamed back at him her brown eyes speckled with gold._

_"Friends?" She asked pushing her hand out towards him._

_He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a tight hug, "Best friends."_

_It was then he realized just how much he'd underestimated Lois Lane._

_Because over the last three years she'd somehow made him fall completely head over heels for her, without even knowing it._

* * *

"Kara can you just stop it!" He grumbled while stomping up to the barn, a nosey little blonde following his every step.

She flipped her hair to the side and sent him a cocky smirk, another thing she'd learnt from Lois, "I'll stop it when you get the courage to tell her that you are completely madly totally crazy for her!" She giggled as she plopped onto the couch taking up as much space as possible so Clark had no option but to stand.

It was times like this he was glad Chloe and his Mother were both no longer around on a regular basis, because he was sure they'd join in on the pick-on-Clark-day that Kara seemed to be thoroughly enjoying.

He knew there was no point that, like with Lois, he'd never win the argument but he couldn't face the barrage of teasing he'd have to endure if he actually admitted his feelings for Lois.

"Admit you have innate feelings for her and I'll stop." Kara huffed with annoyance, as Clark moved her legs so he could sit.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes not wanting to see the victory on his cousins' face, "Fine! When-i-don't-want-to-smother-her-with-a-pillow-i-kind-of-love -her." he said all in one breathe.

"Well that was quite the _romantic _declaration."

Kara immediately jumped up ready in a defensive position as the unknown voice boomed from the stairs.

Clark however was already well aware of the voice's owner, it belonged to the person he'd once called a friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

"Lex. What are you doing here? What do you want?"

Clark didn't even flinch as Lex let out a laugh, "What not happy to see me? Perhaps you'd be more interested in my company if I'd brought my wife with me. Lana's presence always seemed to _captivate _your attention."

Lex's voice was laced with bravado but Clark knew on some level it hurt Lex to think of Clark and Lana's past, the jealousy he held onto was an insecurity that he could never surpass.

Clark exhaled deeply; tired of the argument he'd had with former best friend a million times before.

"I haven't talked to Lana since the day she married you Lex."

Clark finally turned to face Lex and the two shared a significant look of meaning that Kara could not identify.

* * *

**_Honestly I thought that we could make it all the way,_**

**_But stone by stone the castle crumbled to the ground._**

_They stood in the small room, facing opposite direction. Clark surveyed the landscape of the church through the small glasses window, it was raining, and the storm clouds were threatening to erupt in loud bouts of thunder._

_"Tell me Clark, please just tell me your secret and I'll leave Lex, I'll walk away with you right now. But you have to trust me." Lana begged tears staining her painted cheeks._

_Hearing the voice he thought he loved all these years demand so much of him, so damn much, caused him to do something he never thought he'd have the courage to._

_He remained facing the storm, letting the sound of thunder roll over him steeling away the strength he needed to do what had to be done._

_"I can't. After everything that's been said and done, I don't love you anymore Lana not like i thought i did."_

_Lana gasped and took a step back, "You don't mean that."_

_He turned to face her, and she became aware just how much Clark had changed this past year._

_He was taller, more confident in his words, even more mysterious than she remembered and it angered her._

_Her eyes narrowed, looking at him through small slits she huffed._

_"Fine, you've made your decision. And I've made mine. I'm going to marry Lex, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."_

_Clark shook his head lightly at her attitude and turned back to face the window._

_"Don't marry Lex to spite me Lana, marry him because you love him."_

_He herd puff out another breath of annoyance, "You could at least act mature Clark. I would never marry someone just to spite you." But her words quavered and they both knew she would do exactly that._

_Clark smiled sadly at her, wondering why it took him so long to see that Lana could never be what he epitomized her to. All these years he'd held her on a pedestal and it wasn't her fault she couldn't measure up. He wanted to be normal and she was normal._

_Lana was a cheerleader, smart, innocent, naïve, pretty and the girl next door she really was the most normal girl you could ever met and only recently had he realized that around her, that being with her, made him feel like even more of a freak, an alien._

_Everything that he once valued about her suddenly became everything that convinced him that he had made a mistake in confusing his first high school crush with the love of his life. Because if he was honest with himself, really honest, he could admit that Lana wasn't the girl he thought she was and that maybe all this time he hadn't been in love with her. He'd been in love with the idea of her._

_"I am being mature Lana." He replied with no hint of malice or sarcasm, "You know Lois says that when one door closes another one opens." Clark stared at the rain as it dyed down apparently lost in his own thoughts,_

_"I hope your happy Lana, you deserve to be happy. We both do."_

_He put a comforting hand on her shoulder as he walked out the door, shutting it firmly behind him._

* * *

"Right, yes. When you came to her dressing room door and begged for her to leave me moments before our wedding? How _chivalrous _of you."

Clark's features hardened upon finding out that Lana had lied about their encounter and Lex mistook this as a sign of guilt.

"Oh, you didn't think she'd tell me?"

Clark shrugged nonchantly repeating Lex's words to him, "Think what you want Lex, but i didn't take Lana from you, you lost her all on your own."

Lex raised his eyebrows in indignation, "Lost her? Did you forget whose last name she took, whose mansion she's living in ", Lex's voice became dangerous, "whose baby she carrying."

But to Lex's dismay Clark did not appear concerned or jealous by this admission.

"I told Lana the day of your wedding that i wanted her to be happy and it sounds like she is, so what are you doing here?"

Lex's grip on the barn railing tightened, he was hear to gloat the fact that he'd knocked up Lana Lang, to see the look on Clark's face when he heard the glorious news why the fuck else would he be there.

But apparently Clark had grown a spine in the time they hadn't spoken and it irked Lex to think that he could no longer bait him with taunts of Lana.

"Congratulations on impregnating your mundanely boring wife." Kara genuinely beamed at Lex disrupting the tension in the loft, "I hope the fetus does not inherit your predisposition to be bald and obnoxious." She added in faux-concern.

Clark tried unsuccessfully to bottle in his laughter but it spilled out earning a giggle from Kara.

Lex stormed from the loft and down the stairs to his awaiting limousine sending a murderous look over his shoulder; if Lana Lang was no longer Clark Kent's weakness then he would discover what was.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

_A hundred thousand words could not quite explain.  
So I walk you to your car;_

_And we can talk it out in the rain  
And we are leaving some things unsaid  
And we are breathing deeper instead_

"Lane! My office now! And bring your sidekick."

Lois and Clark both shot out their seats at the voice of their agitated editor, Perry.

"Why am i always the sidekick?" Clark grumbled, and Lois sent him a wicked grin and whispered back, "'Cause you're _my _bitch." She then proceeded to stride into Mr. White's office before Clark could reply.

Unable to concentrate on the stern voice barking out commands at him Clark looked over at Lois who was writing down the details of their latest assignment in a mental craze. Wisps of her hair fell from her haphazard bun and the pencil she was using was bitten down to its core, her writing covered every inch of the page going horizontal, diagonal and vertical.

He was the only other reporter at the Daily Planet able to translate and deceiver Lois's notoriously messy notes. Perry often said that was one of the reasons why he assigned them as partners.

But Perry had other reasons, reasons he refuses to share with either reporter.

Clark was woken from his thoughts when Lois abruptly stood up and shook Perry's hand signaling the end of the morning briefing. He followed her back to their desks and watched as she silently walked towards the photocopier.

A few moments later she re-appeared dropping a copy of her notes on his desk, "What's this?" he asked raising his eyebrows at her in disbelief, "I thought 'reporters should be competent enough to make their own notes'." He finished mocking her usual mantra.

Lois's let out a laughed, "Yeah well normally they are, "she sent him a pointed look, "but i noticed you seemed a bit out of it today... is everything alright?"

Clark silently marveled at her ability to pick up on his own moods even before he could, sometimes he had to wonder just who had the superpowers between them.

"Yeah, everything's fine." He replied wincing at how unconvincing he sounded even to himself.

"Right!" She snorted, "And I'm the prince of England nice to meet you."

"Lois" he warned "Honestly, I'm just a bit tired that's all."

She nodded her head appearing to accept his reply but eyed him skeptically as if wondering whether or not to push for the real answer. Clark watched an internal battle of wills play out in Lois's head until she finally shrugged opting to let it go.

"Well i can certainly believe that! I'll never understand how you drive down to Metropolis everyday and still manage to beat me to the office. You must wake up at the crack of dawn!" She added casually as she grabbed both their mugs and headed towards the coffee pot.

Clark coughed uncomfortably, "Something like that." He muttered and reminded himself he really needed to find an apartment to rent before Lois caught him super speeding towards the office one morning.

"Why don't you just crash at my place tonight? But maybe this time could you try to stay on the couch all night. I know I'm irresistible Clark but honestly." Clark almost choked on the coffee she had handed him at her teasing.

He blushed thoroughly as he wiped away the hot liquid that was running down his shirt. "That... that was an accident!" Lois nodded her head and quirked her eyebrows at him as if saying 'sure it was'.

Last time Clark had 'crashed' at Lois's on the couch he'd somehow managed to float into her room, hovering above her for a good hour or two before he'd woken himself up by landing on top of her.

She thankfully laughed it off accepting Clark's lame story about 'sleeping walking' but she hadn't let him forget it.

"Thanks Lois but i was hoping to get back to farm for the weekend, i hate leaving Kara alone like that plus we only have this story Perry assigned us and we should knock it off in the next few hours. So that way I'll have the weekend at the farm."

"Oh" was all Lois could muster and when Clark's head shot up at her tone she cleared her throat, "I mean yeah of course. I was planning on shopping tomorrow any way so like you'd want to tag along for that right? I mean how much more plaid can you buy anyway." Her tone was light and teasing but Clark could easily detect the hidden rejection in it.

"Well you could always come to the farm with me tonight and hang out for the weekend too?"

Lois's eyes shifted up from the paper she was suppose to be studying, "No, no i couldn't. You and Kara should have some family bonding time. Plus like you said she already drives you crazy enough without me around adding to the mocking."

She tried to send him a smile but it fell rather flat.

"Lois it wouldn't even be proper family bonding without you adding to the mocking, you're coming. No arguing," he added sensing her about to object, "The only condition i will enforce is no chick flicks."

Lois flashed him a cheesy grin, "Aww doesn't Clarkie like the notebook anymore?"

"No and he didn't like it the first fifty times you and Chloe _forced_him to watch it either."

Clark sent her a glared which quickly melted into a smile at the sight of her quickened typing; he got the feeling that Lois didn't mind spending as much time at the farm, and with him, as she made out.

* * *

He lived him a mental asylum.

There was no other explanation for it. He watched as the two girls consumed massive amounts of ice-cream, popcorn, pizza and chocolate while crying hysterically at the scene on the screen in from of them.

"Are you girls okay?" He asked warily as they sobbed, "I mean you've seen this before, you both know he comes back and they end up together... i don't get how you can still be crying."

Kara shook her head at him rolling her eyes, "Of course you don't get it Clark, your a guy."

Lois let out a little laugh and attempted to brush away the remaining tears that were streaking rivers down her flushed face.

Clark stared mesmerized by how pretty she looked, even while crying. Clark could count the number of times he'd seen Lois cry on one hand it was a rare event. Regardless he didn't think it could be possible for Lois to ever not look beautiful.

Kara nudged him hard in the ribs and the action caught him off guard, "what?!" he sputtered as his eyes followed Lois when she left to get some more popcorn, "stop being such a pervert, seriously." Kara whispered harshly as she jumped up and trailed after Lois's retreating figure.

He let out a loud sigh, remembering the last time Kara had given him that advice.

* * *

_"Lois, Lois! Look at what i can do!" Kara cooed as she dived from a tall branch into the lake._

_Lois let out a gasp as the watched the petite blonde drop six feet into the murky water, she could have she sworn she saw Kara hover right before she breached the waters surface._

_"Are you crazy?!" She called in panic swimming as fast as she could towards the area._

_When she reached it there was no sign of Kara and Lois whipped her head around to hear a bubble of giggles behind her._

_"You scared me half to death Kara!" She said sternly but eventually her face broke out into a huge grin, "That was so cool. Do it again!"_

_Proud at having impressed Lois, Kara happily swam back towards the edge of the lake to repeat the performance._

_Clark watched from the deck chairs he and Chloe had set up earlier._

_They were celebrating Chloe's new job at the Gotham newspaper and her subsequent move to Gotham that week. Clark would have been lying if he said he was completely happy for Chloe._

_A large part of him was praying she'd turn the job down and stay here, with him, Lois and now Kara. Because Chloe was the last true confidant he had left apart from Kara of course. But it wasn't the same, Kara and Clark would often butt heads, too alike for their own goods, but Chloe was always willing to listen and agree with him, even when she knew he was wrong._

_And he knew Lois would miss her most of all and that saddened him a lot._

_Even though Lois would never admit it, she hated being alone. She hated people leaving and Martha leaving almost killed her, now Chloe aswell. He knew Lois was strong but he also knew most of that strength came from the bonds she'd formed with her perky cousin._

_As Kara came towards him looking for her towel he could hardly stop himself before he begun taking his bad mood out on her._

_He gave her a disapproving look, "Kara you better not have just done what i think you did in front of Lois."_

_Kara tried to hide her guilt behind an innocent smile, "What are you talking about?"_

_Clark jumped up grabbing her arm, "You flew!" Kara opened her mouth to argue but Clark quickly cut her off, "You did, don't deny it i saw you. You don't have to show off so much just for Lois. It's kind of pathetic." He added in a sneer that reminded him more of Kal-El than himself._

_The petite blond rip her arm away from his grip and wrapped her towel tightly around her, "Where do you get the nerve!" She whispered as Lois began to swim into shore, "Me show off? Oh like you don't show off for her all time! You're the pathetic one, don't think i didn't notice you ogling her before, you were practically drooling! And don't think i can't hear you moaning her name in your sleep "Oh Lois!" She mimicked him, "God! You're such a pervert."_

_Clark's facial expression was caught between somewhere between offence and embarrassment._

_"And..." Kara added glad to have put her cousin back in his place, "You're just jealous that she actually wants to hang around with me and be my friend when she wouldn't hang around you for a million dollars!"_

_With that she flicked her blonde hair to the side and stormed off towards the car where Chloe was packing the picnic and blanket up._

_On the way home as if reflecting how Clark felt the sky opened and rain began pouring out._

_"Well look at that! It's bucketing down!" Chloe said breaking the silent tension that had mounted since they left the lake. Both Lois and Chloe had noticed the sudden shift in mood of both Kents and both choose not to comment on it._

_After finally arriving back at the farm Chloe noted that the mood still hadn't improved and now even Lois seemed to be more depressed and apathetic than usual. It was all making her rather sad and guilty for leaving so she decided that she didn't want to stick around for much longer, using the excuses that she had lots of packing to do and Jimmy was waiting back at her dorm to say goodbye. She bid farewell to her closest friends in the world and waved a teary goodbye._

_An hour later Lois sat in the Kents kitchen table picking through the stir-fry that Clark had offered to make for dinner._

_Sensing the worried eyes of both Kara and Clark on her she summoned up a smile and tried to start a conversation, "So today was fun, huh?"_

_When she got no replies Lois muttered quietly, "Well this has been a nice dinner and all but I hate uncomfortable silences so I'm just going to go..."_

_Both Kents watched as she gathered her things and headed for the front door Clark was sure he herd a sob escape her lips, "and i thought we were the ones with super-speed" Kara commented astonished at Lois's lightning fast exit._

_When Kara stood to follow Lois, Clark stopped her._

_"Can you please wash up? I need to speak to Lois, alone." Clark asked Kara silently hoping she under stood and let him do this. "No eaves dropping."_

_She rolled her eyes and nodded much to Clark's relief._

_Kara watched Clark with curiosity as he slowly followed Lois's blazing hot path._

_"Lois?" He called as he watched a dark figure crumbled over the hood of Lois's car._

_She tried to straighten her posture and fight back the tears but gave up when she realized she was busted._

_Lois was drenched from head-to-toe, her hair plastered all over her face, all curly and natural; a way Clark rarely saw it. Her brown eyes were almost completely golden, she was shaking lightly and her red singlet clung to her heaving chest._

_She was a mess and Clark had never seen her like this before._

_He felt himself become teary eyed, he walked the few steps so he was next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and they both knew that they felt exactly the same way at the exact same time._

_Clark opened and shut his mouth a few times but when Lois realized he couldn't find the right words to say she moved into him, wrapping one of her hands around his shoulders and using the other hand to cup his cheek she placed a lingering comforting kiss on his lips. "Thanks Clark." She mumbled, pulling back from him._

_Clark watched in shock as she got in her car and drove away he rubbed his fingers tentatively over the place where her soft lips had just been._

_She tasted like strawberries and coffee._

_He furrowed his brow; Lois Lane was still a complete mystery to him._

* * *

The only time Clark ever had the courage to mention the kiss to Lois; she'd gotten flustered and acted like it meant nothing.

But it meant something to Clark and he knew deep down, it meant something to her aswell.

Sighing once more he looked over to the kitchen when he heard a mixture of Lois and Kara's giggling coming from inside.

_We're both pretty sure neither one can tell  
Oh and we are leaving some things unsaid;  
And we are breathing deeper instead_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter four

A hundred thousand words could not quite explain.  
So I walk you to your car;

And we can talk it out in the rain  
And we are leaving some things unsaid  
And we are breathing deeper instead 

"Lane! My office now! And bring your sidekick."

Lois and Clark both shot out their seats at the voice of their agitated editor, Perry.

"Why am i always the sidekick?" Clark grumbled, and Lois sent him a wicked grin and whispered back, "'Cause you're my bitch." She then proceeded to stride into Mr. White's office before Clark could reply.

Unable to concentrate on the stern voice barking out commands at him Clark looked over at Lois who was writing down the details of their latest assignment in a mental craze. Wisps of her hair fell from her haphazard bun and the pencil she was using was bitten down to its core, her writing covered every inch of the page going horizontal, diagonal and vertical.

He was the only other reporter at the Daily Planet able to translate and deceiver Lois's notoriously messy notes. Perry often said that was one of the reasons why he assigned them as partners.

But Perry had other reasons, reasons he refuses to share with either reporter.

Clark was woken from his thoughts when Lois abruptly stood up and shook Perry's hand signaling the end of the morning briefing. He followed her back to their desks and watched as she silently walked towards the photocopier.

A few moments later she re-appeared dropping a copy of her notes on his desk, "What's this?" he asked raising his eyebrows at her in disbelief, "I thought 'reporters should be competent enough to make their own notes'." He finished mocking her usual mantra.

Lois's let out a laughed, "Yeah well normally they are, "she sent him a pointed look, "but i noticed you seemed a bit out of it today... is everything alright?"

Clark silently marveled at her ability to pick up on his own moods even before he could, sometimes he had to wonder just who had the superpowers between them.

"Yeah, everything's fine." He replied wincing at how unconvincing he sounded even to himself.

"Right!" She snorted, "And I'm the prince of England nice to meet you."

"Lois" he warned "Honestly, I'm just a bit tired that's all."

She nodded her head appearing to accept his reply but eyed him skeptically as if wondering whether or not to push for the real answer. Clark watched an internal battle of wills play out in Lois's head until she finally shrugged opting to let it go.

"Well i can certainly believe that! I'll never understand how you drive down to Metropolis everyday and still manage to beat me to the office. You must wake up at the crack of dawn!" She added casually as she grabbed both their mugs and headed towards the coffee pot.

Clark coughed uncomfortably, "Something like that." He muttered and reminded himself he really needed to find an apartment to rent before Lois caught him super speeding towards the office one morning.

"Why don't you just crash at my place tonight? But maybe this time could you try to stay on the couch all night. I know I'm irresistible Clark but honestly." Clark almost choked on the coffee she had handed him at her teasing.

He blushed thoroughly as he wiped away the hot liquid that was running down his shirt. "That... that was an accident!" Lois nodded her head and quirked her eyebrows at him as if saying 'sure it was'.

Last time Clark had 'crashed' at Lois's on the couch he'd somehow managed to float into her room, hovering above her for a good hour or two before he'd woken himself up by landing on top of her.

She thankfully laughed it off accepting Clark's lame story about 'sleeping walking' but she hadn't let him forget it.

"Thanks Lois but i was hoping to get back to farm for the weekend, i hate leaving Kara alone like that plus we only have this story Perry assigned us and we should knock it off in the next few hours. So that way I'll have the weekend at the farm."

"Oh" was all Lois could muster and when Clark's head shot up at her tone she cleared her throat, "I mean yeah of course. I was planning on shopping tomorrow any way so like you'd want to tag along for that right? I mean how much more plaid can you buy anyway." Her tone was light and teasing but Clark could easily detect the hidden rejection in it.

"Well you could always come to the farm with me tonight and hang out for the weekend too?"

Lois's eyes shifted up from the paper she was suppose to be studying, "No, no i couldn't. You and Kara should have some family bonding time. Plus like you said she already drives you crazy enough without me around adding to the mocking."

She tried to send him a smile but it fell rather flat.

"Lois it wouldn't even be proper family bonding without you adding to the mocking, you're coming. No arguing," he added sensing her about to object, "The only condition i will enforce is no chick flicks."

Lois flashed him a cheesy grin, "Aww doesn't Clarkie like the notebook anymore?"

"No and he didn't like it the first fifty times you and Chloe forced him to watch it either."

Clark sent her a glared which quickly melted into a smile at the sight of her quickened typing; he got the feeling that Lois didn't mind spending as much time at the farm, and with him, as she made out.

He lived him a mental asylum.

There was no other explanation for it. He watched as the two girls consumed massive amounts of ice-cream, popcorn, pizza and chocolate while crying hysterically at the scene on the screen in from of them.

"Are you girls okay?" He asked warily as they sobbed, "I mean you've seen this before, you both know he comes back and they end up together... i don't get how you can still be crying."

Kara shook her head at him rolling her eyes, "Of course you don't get it Clark, your a guy."

Lois let out a little laugh and attempted to brush away the remaining tears that were streaking rivers down her flushed face.

Clark stared mesmerized by how pretty she looked, even while crying. Clark could count the number of times he'd seen Lois cry on one hand it was a rare event. Regardless he didn't think it could be possible for Lois to ever not look beautiful.

Kara nudged him hard in the ribs and the action caught him off guard, "what?!" he sputtered as his eyes followed Lois when she left to get some more popcorn, "stop being such a pervert, seriously." Kara whispered harshly as she jumped up and trailed after Lois's retreating figure.

He let out a loud sigh, remembering the last time Kara had given him that advice.

"Lois, Lois! Look at what i can do!" Kara cooed as she dived from a tall branch into the lake.

Lois let out a gasp as the watched the petite blonde drop six feet into the murky water, she could have she sworn she saw Kara hover right before she breached the waters surface.

"Are you crazy?!" She called in panic swimming as fast as she could towards the area.

When she reached it there was no sign of Kara and Lois whipped her head around to hear a bubble of giggles behind her.

"You scared me half to death Kara!" She said sternly but eventually her face broke out into a huge grin, "That was so cool. Do it again!"

Proud at having impressed Lois, Kara happily swam back towards the edge of the lake to repeat the performance.

Clark watched from the deck chairs he and Chloe had set up earlier.

They were celebrating Chloe's new job at the Gotham newspaper and her subsequent move to Gotham that week. Clark would have been lying if he said he was completely happy for Chloe.

A large part of him was praying she'd turn the job down and stay here, with him, Lois and now Kara. Because Chloe was the last true confidant he had left apart from Kara of course. But it wasn't the same, Kara and Clark would often butt heads, too alike for their own goods, but Chloe was always willing to listen and agree with him, even when she knew he was wrong.

And he knew Lois would miss her most of all and that saddened him a lot.

Even though Lois would never admit it, she hated being alone. She hated people leaving and Martha leaving almost killed her, now Chloe aswell. He knew Lois was strong but he also knew most of that strength came from the bonds she'd formed with her perky cousin.

As Kara came towards him looking for her towel he could hardly stop himself before he begun taking his bad mood out on her.

He gave her a disapproving look, "Kara you better not have just done what i think you did in front of Lois."

Kara tried to hide her guilt behind an innocent smile, "What are you talking about?"

Clark jumped up grabbing her arm, "You flew!" Kara opened her mouth to argue but Clark quickly cut her off, "You did, don't deny it i saw you. You don't have to show off so much just for Lois. It's kind of pathetic." He added in a sneer that reminded him more of Kal-El than himself.

The petite blond rip her arm away from his grip and wrapped her towel tightly around her, "Where do you get the nerve!" She whispered as Lois began to swim into shore, "Me show off? Oh like you don't show off for her all time! You're the pathetic one, don't think i didn't notice you ogling her before, you were practically drooling! And don't think i can't hear you moaning her name in your sleep "Oh Lois!" She mimicked him, "God! You're such a pervert."

Clark's facial expression was caught between somewhere between offence and embarrassment.

"And..." Kara added glad to have put her cousin back in his place, "You're just jealous that she actually wants to hang around with me and be my friend when she wouldn't hang around you for a million dollars!"

With that she flicked her blonde hair to the side and stormed off towards the car where Chloe was packing the picnic and blanket up.

On the way home as if reflecting how Clark felt the sky opened and rain began pouring out.

"Well look at that! It's bucketing down!" Chloe said breaking the silent tension that had mounted since they left the lake. Both Lois and Chloe had noticed the sudden shift in mood of both Kents and both choose not to comment on it.

After finally arriving back at the farm Chloe noted that the mood still hadn't improved and now even Lois seemed to be more depressed and apathetic than usual. It was all making her rather sad and guilty for leaving so she decided that she didn't want to stick around for much longer, using the excuses that she had lots of packing to do and Jimmy was waiting back at her dorm to say goodbye. She bid farewell to her closest friends in the world and waved a teary goodbye.

An hour later Lois sat in the Kents kitchen table picking through the stir-fry that Clark had offered to make for dinner.

Sensing the worried eyes of both Kara and Clark on her she summoned up a smile and tried to start a conversation, "So today was fun, huh?"

When she got no replies Lois muttered quietly, "Well this has been a nice dinner and all but I hate uncomfortable silences so I'm just going to go..."

Both Kents watched as she gathered her things and headed for the front door Clark was sure he herd a sob escape her lips, "and i thought we were the ones with super-speed" Kara commented astonished at Lois's lightning fast exit.

When Kara stood to follow Lois, Clark stopped her.

"Can you please wash up? I need to speak to Lois, alone." Clark asked Kara silently hoping she under stood and let him do this. "No eaves dropping."

She rolled her eyes and nodded much to Clark's relief.

Kara watched Clark with curiosity as he slowly followed Lois's blazing hot path.

"Lois?" He called as he watched a dark figure crumbled over the hood of Lois's car.

She tried to straighten her posture and fight back the tears but gave up when she realized she was busted.

Lois was drenched from head-to-toe, her hair plastered all over her face, all curly and natural; a way Clark rarely saw it. Her brown eyes were almost completely golden, she was shaking lightly and her red singlet clung to her heaving chest.

She was a mess and Clark had never seen her like this before.

He felt himself become teary eyed, he walked the few steps so he was next to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and they both knew that they felt exactly the same way at the exact same time.

Clark opened and shut his mouth a few times but when Lois realized he couldn't find the right words to say she moved into him, wrapping one of her hands around his shoulders and using the other hand to cup his cheek she placed a lingering comforting kiss on his lips. "Thanks Clark." She mumbled, pulling back from him.

Clark watched in shock as she got in her car and drove away he rubbed his fingers tentatively over the place where her soft lips had just been.

She tasted like strawberries and coffee.

He furrowed his brow; Lois Lane was still a complete mystery to him.

The only time Clark ever had the courage to mention the kiss to Lois; she'd gotten flustered and acted like it meant nothing.

Sighing once more he looked over to the kitchen when he heard a mixture of Lois and Kara's giggling coming from inside.

But it meant something to Clark and he knew deep down, it meant something to her aswell.

We're both pretty sure neither one can tell

Oh and we are leaving some things unsaid;  
And we are breathing deeper instead 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_You fall away from your past but it's following you._

Clark looked warily towards the rusty 30 foot fire escape attached to the Luthorcorp facility.

"Forget it! We're not going up there!"

Lois batted his hand away as he attempted to help her and she groaned as she lifted herself over the fence, landing clumsily on the ground beside him.

"You're not my minder Clark, just my partner! If you don't want to come then fine I'll go alone!" Lois huffed grabbing her bag from him.

"Lois!" He whined as she made her way towards the fire escape at a brisk pace. "This is crazy!"

She turned on her heel giving him a forceful glare, "Will ya keep it down boy scout! Look all we have to do is climb the ladder make it too the roof and then go through the roof door. Because as I've reminded you about oh I don't know a BILLION times it's the only door not protected by security guards in this whole place!" She exclaimed waving wildly in the direction of the building.

"Once were in we just need to avoid the security guards, get the damning evidence against Luthor and then get out. Not that complicated farm boy!"

Clark suddenly had the urge to kiss the annoyed look right off her face.

* * *

_**A few days earlier**_

_"What are we doing?" He instantly wished he could take back the words as they spilled from his mouth. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Lois away by making her face feelings she obviously didn't want too face. For whatever reason things remained unsaid between them for so long he was afraid that if he tried to push her any further she may pull away completely._

_After a moment her frown disappeared and she sent him a knowing smile which surprised him, "Oh you mean this?" she leant forward and wrapped her hand around his out stretched arm pulling his body towards her own, kissing him slowly. "It's called making out."_

_Clark nodded as he had never herd of the concept, "We should do that more often."_

_"Easy Tiger," Lois giggled after another moment of intense kissing in which Clark had eased Lois back onto the love seat and was practically covering her body with his own much larger one. A look of seriousness found its way on her face, "You're my best friend Clark Kent and I don't want anything to ruin that so let's just take this slow and see where it goes… okay?"_

_He held her gaze hoping to convey to her that he understood she needed some time to adjust to this new development in their relationship while trying to reassure her that she wouldn't regret this._

_"Okay."_

_They sat in silence for a moment smiling goofily when they caught each others eye; finally Clark broke the silence "so would it be going too fast if we continued this making out session a little while longer?" Lois shook her head and bit her bottom lip, "Shut up and kiss me already Smallville."_

* * *

"Hello? Are you coming?" She called back to him as she climbed the first few steps. Snapping out of his daze Clark reluctantly followed her lead climbing up behind her and he tried not to stare at the creamy expanse of skin between her jacket and jeans that had become exposed.

"Run!" Lois screamed as she guard closed in on them, everything had been going smoothly they made their way up the escape and into the building in no time but unfortunately they weren't as stealth as they imagined themselves to be. On the way out of the facility office they had tripped some alarm system and were now making their way up the stairs approaching the roof.

Lois felt her heart thumping against her chest as she tried to rip open the heavy metal roof door with no avail "Clark it's stuck!" She said breathing heavily, "Clark?!" she turned around and found him nowhere to be seen. She began to feel a new rush of panic; he had been right behind her a second ago. Suddenly the metal door in front of her was pulled from its hinges and a figure cloaked in darkness stood before her.

She stepped towards the figure but it moved away from her, "Who are you?!" she queried trying to keep her voice steady.

"A friend" The figure replied before taking something from his belt and launching from the building.

"What the hell?!" Lois gasped as she craned her neck over the edge of the building, "Did that guy just fly?" she muttered to herself and promptly fainted.

* * *

**"Metropolis's new Superhero: The Dark Angel" reported by Lois Lane**

Clark had re-read the article at least ten times, "A mysterious figure has been spotted saving lives across the Metropolis area; this figure cloaked in darkness, appears only at night and seems to posses some super human abilities."

He frowned lost in thought as Kara entered the kitchen holding her iPod and shimming to Avril Lavinge's 'Hot'.

"Hey loser!" She nodded casually in Clark's direction rolling her eyes when his frown line increase, "watcha brooding about now?" Clark tried to cover his face with an indignant look, "I was not brooding." Kara's eye flicked towards the paper, "Oh I see" she said sending Clark a knowing look.

"You see what?" Clark replied his attention back on the blurry images Jimmy had managed to get of the "Dark Angel".

Kara place a condoling hand on Clark's back, "she doesn't know it was you does she?"

"That's because it wasn't me."

Clark watched as his cousins face scrunched up in confusion, "Well if it wasn't you and it certainly wasn't me?" She pointed a finger at herself, "Then who the heck was it?"

Clark sighed skimming the rest of the front page, "Gossip Alert! Gotham playboy Bruce Wayne causes a stir at the official opening of the Metropolis Museum sponsored by Luthorcorp."

"Power outage causes mass chaos in downtown Metropolis."

"Luthor announces plans to expand water testing facility."

He tossed the paper down in annoyance, "I have no idea."

* * *

"Kara! What are you doing here?" Lois smiled widely and hugged the girl in front of her.

"Hey Lo! Oh I have no school because it's marking day so Clark said I could tag along with him to work and go shopping in Metropolis." She sent her a smug smile as if secretly saying, 'I have him wrapped around my little finger.'

"Oh well that was very nice of him, wasn't it?" Lois sent the person in question a dazzlingly seductive smile that made him weak at the knees.

Clark blushed profusely looking down and busying himself with his briefcase and laptop, "Well that's as along as she behaves herself and doesn't shop us into debt." He sent Kara a glare and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

Ever since their make out session on his porch Lois had taken to unconsciously flirting with Clark in front of others, on some level Clark was certain she was enjoying the fact that it embarrassed him. He had taken to reacting and blushing at every innuendo she made intentional or unintentional, stuttering and sputtering a response.

Rolling her eyes Kara laughed at the two, "Right, well not that I don't appreciate this flirtatious banter..." she sent the two a playful smirk, "but I told Olsen I'd meet him in the café downstairs."

Before Clark could comment Kara had practically super sped away with only a wipe of blonde hair in her wake.

"Jimmy?" He questioned to no one in particular.

Lois sent him a secretive smile, "For a reporter you don't pick up on things to quickly... She's crazy about him."

Clark furrowed his brow, "When did they even meet?"

"Around the time I started working here."

"Oh" Clark sat down at his desk and attempted to sort out the mess Lois had left there earlier for him to organize.

A buzz began to circulate the office and the energy around them seemed electric, reporters and assistants were scurrying around and others were crowding around the televisions in the front of the building, Lois sent Clark a curious glance, "what's all the fuss about?" Clark shrugged but before he could use his super hearing a high pitched voice came screeching from the other side of the bull pen, "Lane! Kent! Breaking story chief wants you in his office pronto!"

"On it Marcy!" Lois called as she pounced from her desk and pulled Clark up from his own chair, "This must be serious if the Chief is sending us out on location." The excitement in her voice was contagious and soon Clark found himself unable to focus when he cause sight of Perry White smoking his finest cigars, the ones he saved for special occasions.

"What's the 411 Chief?" Lois huffed, the door swung widely in her wake narrowly missing Clark's forehead.

Perry sent her a dubious look, "It's your favorite superhero, apparently his tried to off Luthor."

"Tried?" Clark repeated swallowing the lump in his throat, afraid that they're may have been a disappointed tone in his voice. Perry motioned to the TV monitor on the side wall, turning up the volume.

"An hour ago witnesses claim to have seen the figure dubbed "The Dark Angel of Metropolis" throw Alexander Luthor, owner of Luthorcorp, from the ten storey Reeve hotel. The mysterious angel has now been identified as the infamous "Batman", a suspicious figure civilian and police have spotted various times in neighboring city Gotham. It's believed Mr. Luthor was staying in the hotel at the time as a guest, after Mrs. Luthor petitioned for divorce earlier this week."

Lois tried to subtlety survey Clark, not only had he just found out his former best friend had almost been murdered but he also discovered that Lana Lang was no longer to be Lana Luthor. She had herd that bit of office gossip a few days ago and wondered if it had gotten around to Clark, but she figured he never mentioned it so the gossip tree hadn't reached his desk yet. Chewing her nail she looked again towards the television,

"It's still unclear what kind of condition Mr. Luthor is in or what the circumstances behind this vicious attack entail. But one can conclude that things have only begun to unravel in this mysterious case."

* * *

"If you want I can go in alone…" Lois said softly placing her hand on Clark's arm.

Clark tried to send her a smile but found it rather forced, "No, its fine. I'm fine."

She sent him a dubious look, "You just found out your former best friend was almost murdered and your former first love is about to be divorced. I wouldn't be fine if I was you."

Clark sent her another smile; this one came more easily, "Lois if you were me I wouldn't even need to ask."

She nodded and tried not too blush at his veiled complement, "After you" she held the door open to Lex's hospital room.

"Just the person I wanted to see." Lex spat eyeing Clark with disdain.

Lois couldn't hide her surprise "Lex... Your?"

_"Alive_?" He supplied smugly.

"Well don't blame me for being a little pessimistic, after a ten storey drop I expected you to be a lot more… vegetative."

Lex chuckled, "Ahh Miss Lane your wit and charm exceeds you. Now do you mind popping down to the hospital cafeteria and getting me blueberry muffin, they are after all, your specialty if I remember correctly." She rolled her eyes at this attempted to bait her instead looking in Clark's direction. He nodded silently as if answering her question, "Apple and cinnamon it is." She said as she walked out of the door, closing it behind her.

Clark sighed and Lex waited until Lois was out of sigh to speak, "Couldn't resist finding out the reason behind Lana and my separation? I assure you, it wasn't because of the Kansas farm boy."

"That's not why I'm here Lex. I haven't talked to Lana, and she hasn't spoken to me. And even if she did, there would be nothing left to say. Perry remembered I knew you and thought you might be willing to give us an interview for the Planet, but I can see that's not going to happen." Clark turned towards the door and placed a hand on the knob but the vulnerability of Lex's voice stopped his motions, "I'll give you your interview Clark."

* * *

"I can't believe he gave you an interview!"

Lois was hot on his heels as they made their way towards the car, "And I can't believe you didn't come and get me!" Clark shrugged, "He didn't want to talk to you and I can't really blame him... you have tried to get him arrested." He opened the door for her and Lois hoped into the car no bothering to wait for him to get to his own side before continuing, "So! That's my job! It's not like he knows we broke into the experiment facility… or does he?" She raised her eyebrows in accusation and Clark put his arms up in defense, "I didn't say a word okay he already knew. And apparently we weren't the only people trying to get information on his new water plant. He has bigger concerns than two reporters."

Lois turned the motor, "Don't tell me the government has finally woken up to Lex's criminal side…" He laughed at that, "Not likely… it's Batman. Lex said his guards saw him in the facility around the same time we were in their. I actually think Lex might be threatened by him, he wouldn't tell me if his had an face to face contact with Batman but he certainly was happy to incriminate him in the breaking and entering he definitely wants us to print a story that paints Batman in a bad light."

Lois silently absorbed this information, "I don't know. I'm not so sure Batman's such a criminal, I mean yes his means are sort of violent," Clark shook his head, "Violent? He kills criminals and tortures them. He uses scare tactics and intimidation to keep people obeying his rules. That's taking the law into your hands and abusing it."

"I know I know." She sighed in defeat, "I just mean… maybe having a hero around here isn't such a bad thing, he has cleaned up the streets of Gotham..."

Although he could never condone Batman's methods Clark did have to admit that he certainly was getting the job done.

"Oh hey I can't believe I forgot to mention this but how did Lex survive that fall?!" Clark visibly tensed knowing that witnesses would identify her sooner or later he decided to come clean, "He says he was saved by a girl who could... fly."

"What?!" Lois sputtered "A girl who could…?" she trailed off staring into skyline.

"Fly." He supplied, thinking about ways in which Kara would be punished when they got back to the farm… extra chores? Grounding? It all seemed rather lame when she had the ability to literally fly away. Know he knew what his parents felt when he did courageous things that ultimately threatened his security. He did have to give Kara credit though; she must have used some sort of disguise because Lex didn't recognize her, luckily.

Lois let out a long breath, "Whoa, so you're telling me that we have this mysterious and freakishly suave Batman tried to kill Lex and then some kind of Supergirl who can fly, and god knows what else try to save him? Well we have one hell of a story to write when we get back to the office!" Clark nodding in agreement to lost in though to speak.

"Oh by the way I was thinking we could have dinner tonight? At my place around seven?" He let out a groan, "Your cooking?"

"No!" She whacked him across the chest while trying to maintain control of the car, "I'll order Chinese and we can watch some movies and you know... _Whatever_." The 'whatever' made butterflies ignite in his stomach he tried to muster enough confidence to tease her in return, "Why Miss Lane are you trying to seduce me?"

She smirked as they reached the Planet car park, "Am I that transparent?"

He sent her a dazzling smile, "Only to me." She laughed and couldn't help but agree, sobering up a bit she looked at him with seriousness edging into her features, "It's really nice to have you Clark, especially when things are so crazy right now. It's been really comforting to know that I have you to turn to. I feel like we can talk about anything. I really _trust_you, you know?" She smiled shyly now and leant over the console to kiss him and pulled back slowly, her eyelashes fluttering girlishly.

Clark nodded the weight of the words bearing down on him.

* * *

Sitting at his desk Clark watched Kara as she interacted with Jimmy, she was confident yet shy at the same time and it reminded him a lot of his own teenage years.

"You're pretty crazy about him aren't you?" Clark asked echoing what Lois had said earlier.

Kara sat down in a spare seat near his desk watching longingly at Jimmy's retreating figure she feigned innocence, "What? No way! I've only met him a few times Clark!"

Clark let out a chuckle, "So you can have feelings for someone after meeting them a few times, I never said you loved him."

Furrowing her brow she replied uneasily, "I suppose I have feelings for him, lust and desire."

Clark almost spat out the coffee he had just had a sip of, "Gross Kar."

She let out a small giggle, "Oh I don't know! I'm not good with human…" she looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping in on their conversation and continued when she was satisfied that they weren't, "emotions." She said the last word as if it let a sour taste in her mouth.

Clark sent her an empathetic smile, "You'll get the hang of it."

She shrugged and replied, "I don't know... I don't think we exactly had what humans call 'love' on Krypton."

"You didn't have love?" He raised his eyebrows in surprise and found it hard to imagine any world where people didn't feel love.

She considered his question for a moment, "What would you as a "human" define as love?"

"I guess it's when you know someone, completely, and embrace everything about them. Regardless if it seems good or bad you just have to trust that feeling of certainty you have about that person." He replied thinking about the sort of relationship he had with Lois.

"Well we had companionship and passion but they didn't necessarily go hand in hand. It's hard to explain, but we did love each other I suppose it's just, we were more reserved about it. Humans tend to express love excessively," She crinkled her nose recalling the displays she'd seen during the small number of high school parties Clark had let her attend, "I guess what I mean is how do you know when you're in love? What's that feel like?"

Clark sighed struggling to put the feeling into words.

"Well sometimes when I look at Lois, I can't remember what it felt like not to know her. I can't remember a time when I wasn't worried about her safety or happy because of her simply being in my life. I think that's what love is. Love's how I know she gets this hitch in her breath when she's delighted by something or how I know when she's quiet because she's just quiet, or when she's quiet because she's thinking or because she's worried."

Kara silently encouraged him smiling as he described things he felt with Lois that she already felt when it came to Jimmy.

"And she knows me, too. And likes what she knows about me. I think. But she doesn't know all of it, does she?" He began to frown as he considered this, "That's the part that bothers me. I'm _hiding_something from her. From everyone, but especially from her. And I feel like I'm lying to her. It used to be okay. It used to be fine...", his frown deepened as he finished his train of thought.

Kara sent him a sad smile, "But it's not okay anymore. Is it Clark? Not with her. You know her so well there's no doubt in my mind you love her. And I think she knows -- I think she knew it before you did. But you haven't said it to her. You can't. I know you; you'd be asking her to say it back. And she doesn't really know you, does she? She just thinks she does. And you haven't really lied to her. But you haven't told her the truth, either, have you? I understand that you want too protect her, trust me, I feel the same way but have you ever thought that maybe knowing the truth is a risk she'd be willing to take? Have you ever thought that maybe it's not your choice to decide, that it's up to her."

"No I guess I haven't." Clark shook his head dejectedly realizing just how much keeping the truth from Lois was not only affecting his own life but also affecting everyone else around him.

"I mean you'd be keeping this whole other part of yourself a secret from her and sooner or later she's going to figure something out and ask you about it and you'd have to lie her and faster than you'll realize you'd both end up resenting each other for it. I know this is a sore subject but Lana's a prime example, even though I'll be the first person to admit Lana Lang is no Lois Lane it's about trusting someone. Eventually you have to do it Clark and I think we both know that Lois is the only one you could ever be truly honest with. Maybe you should think about telling her before she finds out another way, she deserves to hear the truth from you, especially now before things get even more complicated."

She cast her eye towards the newspaper thrown haphazardly by Lois on Clark's desk.

**"Batman vs. Super girl; the fight for Justice in Metropolis."**

**Written by Lois Lane and Clark Kent.**

"Oh crap." She whispered.

Clark sent her a parental guilt stare, "Didn't think I'd hear about that did you?" Kara tried to muster a naïve smile, "I wore a brown wig! And I had on a long red coat... He didn't even realize it was me…" Clark let out a long sigh, "I know, you've just got to be careful Kar, there are people out there who would love to get their hands on you and experiment on you and lock you up." He cast an eye over Lex's photo on the bottom of the page.

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly "I won't I'm invincible remember..." She tried to joke but it fell flat when she saw Clark's expression, "What is it?" she turned around too see Bruce Wayne, the playboy billionaire handing a flustered Lois a bunch of red roses.

"You're not as invincible as you'd like to think." Clark said an unreadable expression passing over his features, _"Neither _of us is."

_You made up your mind to leave it all behind,  
Now you're forced to fight it out.  
You fall away from your past,  
But it's following you._


	7. Chapter 7

_**I just wanted to say thank you to the people who have taken time to reply it means the world to me and i definately wouldn't have finished this chapter so fast if it hadn't been for you. Again thank you and i hope you enjoy this chapter as much as i enjoied writing it. **_

**_xxx_**

_**

* * *

**_

**Chapter Seven**

**++"A soulmate is someone who has the locks to fit our keys, and the keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we; we can be loved for who we are and for who we're pretending to be.."++**

_Buzzzzzzz._

The door bell alerted Lois to the pizza delivery she had been desperately awaiting. The tension in the air was positively _deafening_ as Clark sat in complete silence glaring at the TV screen.

When he first arrived Lois could hardly keep from floating away as she opened the door to greet him that feeling quickly disappeared after he displayed what a fowl mood he was in by grumbling a "hello" and shoving past her. He had been skulking on the couch ever since and anytime she tried to ask him what was wrong he'd point at the TV and give her an annoyed '_shhh_' motion. For some strange reason it reminded her of their first meeting, he had the same air of arrogance as the boy she'd meet half-naked in a Kansas field.

"That'll be $15.50, Miss."

Lois passed the pizza boy the right amount of notes but dug around the bottom of her bag in search of the odd change, "God-dam-it!" she threw her hands up in annoyance unable to find the exact cents she needed.

Clark sat taking a silent delight in Lois's fruitless search but finally decided to help, collecting leftover change from his jacket and flinging it at the boy he shut the door in the boy's confused face.

"_Whoa_, rude much." Lois sighed as she trailed behind Clark's red hot path.

Before she could place the pizza down Clark whipped around to face her taking her by surprise she tried not to throw the box in the air, "What was that _Lois_?! Did you say _something_?"

She swallowed hard, there was one side of her that was ready to throw down and bitch out Clark for his attitude but there was the other side, the dare she says it, _softer_ side that was urging her to just let him get his anger out so that she could really find out what he was so upset about.

She decided on a compromise.

Using the softest but sternest voice she could muster she motioned for him to sit back down on the couch, "Clark, what's gotten into you? That was no way to treat that poor boy. You've been sitting here all night brooding with the world on your shoulders," she tried to hide most of the insecurity she had been feeling about them but it escaped as she continued, "if you didn't want to come over tonight you didn't _have_ to. If your having second thoughts about this, _about us_. I promise I'll understand."

This seemed to strike a chord within him as he turned towards her fire within his eyes, "_I'm_ not the one having second thoughts."

She raised her eyebrows at his tone completely confused by this sudden flash of anger.

"Nice roses."

Lois followed his gaze and inwardly cursed, so this is what's got his panties in a bunch. He must have seen Bruce at the Planet, and assumed the worst.

* * *

_Lois sighed as she waited for the elevator, the Planet was quiet now. It was after deadline and all the work for tomorrow's paper was done. She looked back towards the bullpen and could see Kara and Clark talking intently at his desk, a grin made its way over her features as she thought about how strange the two of them were and how much she wouldn't change that about them for the world. They were both so refreshing, they both were whirlwinds in Lois's world keeping her on her toes and she wouldn't have it any other way._

_"Hello stranger."_

_A deep voice had snuck up behind her and she jumped as someone placed a hand over her eyes._

_"Wayne." She smirked as she removed the hand and turned to give him a warm hug which he happily returned she could smell that ridiculously expense aftershave from a mile away._

_She met Bruce when she was only thirteen, he was sixteen, rich and cool, he told her she was beautiful and strong, he embodied everything she'd ever thought a boyfriend would be. After his parents died Lois saw Bruce fewer and fewer times, the General was rarely stationed in Gotham or around Gotham so she had no excuse to see him. She worried about him constantly though and when she finally turned sixteen she ran away from where the General was stationed, ten hours away from Gotham and made her way back to him._

_"For me?" She rolled her eyes at her own girly squeal as he handed her a bunch of red roses he'd brought for her earlier, "Of course! How could I not see my childhood sweetheart and not bring her some of her favorite flowers"._

_But after his parents tragic death Lois found that Bruce had built specially designed vaults to keep her out, it was like he was afraid of how she might react if she really saw how deep and dark the inside of his heart was. Their relationship was different, the openness between them was gone, the spark. They were both just too different now. He kept her at a distance, and if she was honest with herself, she'd admit she did the exact same. They sort unhealthy comfort from each other, a warm body next to them at night to make their empty souls feel somewhat home. It never worked though, and each time they found their way back into each others arms Lois promised herself it would be the last._

_Her smile faltered slightly._

_'And this was the reason why Bruce and I could never have worked out' she reminded herself. As much as she adored him, Bruce was always so preoccupied with being what he thought everyone wanted him to be. In some ways he reminded her of Clark, they were always so secretive, so mysterious. But the difference between the two, the most important distinction in her mind was that Clark was willing to let her in, even if he couldn't explain things to her he let her see how he really felt and she appreciated that._

_Lois tried not to feel upset that he hadn't remembered lilies were her favorite flowers, and this was the way it had become between them they could never get back what they once had, she smiled sadly but quickly recovered._

_"What are you doing in Metropolis? I mean other than seducing models and pissing off Lex Luthor."_

_Bruce tensed at the mention of Lex, "I don't know what you mean, Lane." The tension didn't go unnoticed by Lois; she sent him an amused smile._

_"I herd about your little late night swim in the new Metropolis Museum fountain. Lex paid an arm and a leg for that thing. I don't think he appreciated you and your groupies desecrating it in front of the prestige of the town."_

_He visibly relaxed, "The invite promised a night of fun. My friends and I were just livening up the opening."_

_Lois chuckled at his boyish smirk, "Funny, I herd you weren't invite in the first place."_

_The elevator finally arrived and Lois walked into it without waiting for a response._

_"Details details." He brushed off with a flick of his hand and held the elevator as he entered it behind her._

_They stood in silence as people entered and left the lift before they finally come to the ground floor._

_Approaching the large rotating doors of the Planet entrance and exit Lois placed a hand on Bruce's arm, "You are not following me home." Before he could protest she continued, "I told you Bruce you are one of my closest friends, but that's it. We're just not…"_

_"…good for each other." He finished with a genuine regretful smile. She nodded, "I know Lois, that's not why I'm here. There's something I need to tell you, as my oldest friend I wanted to confess something and as a Daily Planet reporter I wanted to give you the inside story."_

_She couldn't kept the façade up any longer, "I know a nice little café around the corner, great espressos and it's always busy so we won't have to worry about being over herd… Batman."_

_He nearly doubled over when he heard the name and the wicked grin she sent him reassured him that this news was not a cause of anger or upset for her, "How did you-"_

_She rolled her eyes, "Who else would have the audacity to throw Luthor out a window… other than me of course. Oh and the fact that you show up whenever the giant bat does is sort of a give away… I've had my suspicions for awhile now."_

_He smiled at her in amazement, "I should have known you'd figure it out."_

_"Duh! They don't call me the Daily Planet's ace reporter for nothing! Now are you still up for that coffee or are superheroes above mingling with the commoners?"_

_He placed his hand on her back and motioned towards to glass doors, "Lead the way Lane."_

* * *

She bit her lip unable to divulge the truth about Bruce to Clark as she swore she wouldn't tell a soul about his double identity she blurted out a different truth, 

"I love you."

The declaration caught Clark by surprise just as much as it did Lois. She covered her hands over her mouth instantly; Clark sat completely still gaping at her. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before Lois gained some confidence and stopped him, "I _do_. And this isn't the way I planned on telling you, but I wanted you to know. You don't have to feel threatened by Bruce or anyone else. I'm crazy about _you_ I think I always will be."

"Lois I...I-" Clark stuttered and an unsettled look flittered across his face.

Lois tried to hide her slight feeling of rejection "It's alright Clark. You don't have too say it back, I mean that's not why I said it." She understood springing it on him like that was unfair but a part of her did expect him too say it back, and no matter how much she said otherwise it _hurt_ her to think he might not feel the same.

Clark groaned and run his hands threw his hair in frustration, "Lois Lane you drive me crazy." She sent him a coy smile and he returned one of his own.

"Lois I want too say it but I don't want to just tell you, I want too _show_ you."

He leant forward and grabbed both of her hands kissing her wrists where her heartbeat was steadily flowing; she felt electricity shoot threw her entire body.

"Do you trust me?"

She nodded silently and followed obediently as he led her towards her terrace. Once they were on the patio Clark moved towards her, his large hands encircling her waist she reached up and covered his shoulders with her arms, her fingers instinctively began playing with the wisps of hair on his neck leading towards his thick black mane.

"Close your eyes." He whispered huskily in her ear, she did instantly and she felt her heart speed up in response to his movements as he pulled her frame closer to his own.

She shivered as the night air seemed to shift and gripped tighter on Clark's shirt.

"Open them."

Lois let out a soft gasp and pulled Clark into her completely, holding onto him for dear life.

"We… we're… _floating_." She said in a strangled voice and Clark's heart clenched in fear and anticipation.

"It's beautiful." She gushed looking down at the city, relaxing every muscle in her body so she fit neatly against Clark.

He watched her and couldn't contain the smile as she survey the skyline with excitement and intrigue.

"Are you... your _doing_ this?"

He nodded, choosing to enjoy this side of Lois that he had never seen before. Her eyes were the color of honey, her cheeks were red with excitement and her hair floated around her face framing the amazed smile that was gracing her beautiful features.

"I love you." He stated simply never looking away from her.

She looked at him for the first time wiping away the tear that had fallen down her face, "This is amazing, breathtaking. You're _incredible_."

He struggled with all of his emotions and could no longer stop himself; he captured her lips with his own in a fierce passionate kiss that said everything he'd never been able to say.

She _loved_ him.

She _accepted_ him.

She thought he was _incredible_.

It was everything he'd ever dreamed of and more. This was true love and he knew he'd never feel this way about anyone ever again, she was his only; she was his _destiny_ he was finally home.

**_++Happiness is like the old man told me  
Look for it, but you'll never find it all  
But let it go, live your life and leave it  
Then one day, wake up and she'll be home  
Home, home, home++_**


End file.
